WNBA odds, picks, best bets for Friday

The Minnesota Lynx head to Indiana to face Caitlin Clark and the red-hot Indiana Fever on Friday night time.

No crew within the WNBA is hotter than the Fever, who’ve received 5 straight and 7 of their previous eight video games since getting back from the prolonged All-Star break.

The one loss in that stretch was to the Western Convention-leading Lynx, who received 90-80 on Aug. 24 in Minneapolis.

Can the Fever lengthen their profitable streak to 6 video games? If that’s the case, it can take one other Herculean effort from Clark, who’s coming off her second triple-double of the season.

Right here is my Lynx vs. Fever matchup breakdown, together with a recreation choose and a Caitlin Clark participant prop wager which may shock you, contemplating her torrid six-week stretch of basketball.

Lynx vs. Fever odds

Lynx vs. Fever prediction and choose

(7:30 p.m. ET, Fubo, ION)

Of their previous 9 video games, the Fever are averaging greater than 91 factors on roughly 47% taking pictures from the ground and 40% from behind the arc, rating third in subject aim proportion and first in 3-point proportion.

Additionally they have by far the best offensive score within the league, common probably the most factors per recreation, and rank second in efficient subject aim proportion for the reason that monthlong break within the W.

Sadly for Indiana, the Lynx are simply as scorching. Minnesota has received eight of its previous 9, with an outlier highway loss to the Dallas Wings final Friday being the one blip in that span.

The Lynx have boasted one of many league’s greatest defenses this season, rating third in defensive score (0.1 away from first), first in opponent fastbreak factors per recreation, second in opponent factors off turnovers, and first in opponent subject aim proportion and 3-point proportion.

Minnesota has additionally been distinctive offensively in post-All-Star play, rating second in offensive score and first in efficient subject aim proportion.

So, which crew ought to we again on Friday night time? The brief reply: Take the Fever with the factors.

Indiana is the one crew that has been undefeated at residence since mid-July. It boasts a 5-0 document and ranks first in internet score (+10.6) and efficient subject aim proportion by a large margin. 

Additional, they’ve undoubtedly the very best residence crowd within the W, due primarily to the “Clark Impact.”

Minnesota has been implausible this season, however I really like this scalding-hot Indiana crew getting factors at residence.

Decide: Fever +2.5 (-110, DraftKings)

Caitlin Clark participant prop

Clark’s previous six weeks of basketball have been an unimaginable stretch for a rookie. She has posted 24.4 factors, 10.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per recreation on a daft 48/37/91 taking pictures break up. 

Additional, the typical distance of her 3-point makes an attempt this season is farther from the basket than some other participant in skilled basketball historical past, together with Stephen Curry and the remainder of the NBA, which means she’s posting elite taking pictures percentages at an unprecedented vary. 

At this level, we’re working out of adjectives to explain her potential on the ground.

Nonetheless, Minnesota’s pesky backcourt is all the time a tall job for any participant, together with Clark. As talked about above, the Lynx have one of many league’s greatest perimeter defenses, rating first in opponent 3-point proportion.

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Unsurprisingly, Clark has struggled to get clear seems and convert from deep in opposition to a Lynx squad that continuously sends totally different defenders to her and goes over each ball display screen.

It is a super-juiced line at -170, however in two video games in opposition to the Lynx, she has shot simply 26.3% (5-of-19) from deep and did not surpass her Friday night time prop in every contest. Minnesota’s protection is the rationale for that.

Decide: Caitlin Clark below 3.5 made 3s (-170, bet365)